Liopleurodon
Liopleurodon was a species of large pliosaur from the late Jurassic period. It lived in the deep seas near the European coastlines, in vast territories. With a maximum length of 25 meters, this creature was the largest carnivore to ever exist. Its incomprehensible size and strength made it indestructible to any attack. Creature attributes. Physical appearance and biology. Liopleurodon was a very large pliosaur. It had fundamental characteristics of the typical pliosaur, such as a large, heavy skull supported by a short neck. Its jaws carried a row of protruding, needle-sharp teeth. It also had powerful nostrils which were used to pinpoint the scent of its prey. Each of Liopleurodon's four flippers was three meters in length. By alternately flapping its flippers, it managed to propel its huge bulk effortessly through the Jurassic waters. They were known to have most likely given live birth to their offspring. The coloration of a Liopleurodon was very similar to that of a great white shark's. It had black scales on the top half of its body, probably to camouflage it from prey above it. Meanwhile, on the other half of its body, there were white scales that would camouflage it from prey below it. Behavior and traits. Being the largest carnivore to have ever existed, Liopleurodon was the apex predator of every predator of every area it lived in. Liopleurodon had a variety of prey consisting of sharks, marine crocodiles, ichthyosaurs, other pliosaurs, and the largest fish that ever lived, Leedsichthys. Not even terrestrial prey such as Eustreptospondylus was safe from the large marine reptile. It would also occasionally scavenge carcasses. Because of its reputation, other predators would flee upon seeing Liopleurodon and would only attack individuals when they are wounded. This species of pliosaur lived a more aquatic lifestyle than other plesiosaurs like Cryptoclidus due to its large size. Their size also made them territorial and they would fight for space. Adult Liopleurodon were constantly in danger of being beached if they got to close to the islands. Juveniles lived in the shallows until they were old enough. Classification and ancestry. The candidate for the ancestors of plesiosaurs are the Nothosaurs of the Late Triassic. Liopleurodon in particular belongs to a group of plesiosaurs called pliosaurs that had short necks and large heads. Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Dangerous Sea. a male Liopleurodon tears a female Ophthalmosaurus in half when she has trouble giving birth. The male later encounters a female Liopleurodon who he engages in a territorial dispute. The bull wins the fight by biting the female's left hind flipper and as she leaves her bleeding wound attracting Stethacanthus sharks that most likely kill her. Later on, the wet season arrived but when it ended, the rain has driven the male Liopleurodon on the beach. His cause of death was being beached and being consumed during his last moments of life by multiple scavenging Eustreptospondylus. But while the scavengers were feasting, Sparky has picked up the scent. He scared the Eustreptospondylus away and he had the carcass all for himself.